Crossing signal



July 24, 1923. 1,463,127

J. A. MANTA CROSS ING SIGNAL Filed April 18, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 STEPINVENTOR W ATTORNEY July 24, 1923. 1,463,fi27

J. A. MANTA CROSSING SIGNAL Filed April 18. 1922' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR WITNESS ATTORNEY July 24, 1923. 1,463,127

J. A. MANTA CROSSING SIGNAL Filed April 18. '1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I, Q;ldlllleli IMF 1 44 10 E4 Jfl. Mari/a INVENTOR WITNESS: ATTORNEY Patentedduly 24, 1923.

UNETE JOSEPH A. MANTA, F PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

CROSSING SIGNAL.

Application filed April 18. 1922. Serial No. 554,627.

To a]? iclm-m it may concern Be it known that I, JosurH A. MANTA, acitizen of the United States, residing at lrovincetown, in the county ofBarnstable and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Crossing Signals. of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to signal devices, particularly to signalsdesigned for use in connection with rail-Ways. interurban lines and thelike. and has for its object the provision of a warning signal designedto be located at a crossing and automatically operated upon the approachof a train or car whereby to apprise pedestrians, drivers of vehiclesand others of the approach of a train. the device being particularlyadvantageous in preventing the occurrence of accidents such asfrequently occur at grade crossings.

v An important object is the provision of a signal of this characterwhich is electrically operated, circuit closing means being provided andoperated by passage of the train or car over certain sections of thetrackway which are insulated from the remaining sections whereby toclose the circuit for operating the signal device proper.

An additional object is the provision of a device of this characterwhich includes a movable semaphore arm carrying an electric light. thearm being moved up and down and the light being flashed on and offautomatically upon the approach of a train or car.

A still further object is the provision of a signal device of thischaracter which in cludes an automatically operated circuit making andbreaking device, the making being effected positively and the breakbeing effected by spring tension.

A nother object is the provision of a device of this character whichwill be simple and inexpensive in manufacture. and installation, highlyefficient in use. positive in action, durable in service and a generalimprovement in the art.

lVith the above and other objects and ad vantages in view, the inventionconsists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich,

Figure 1 shows the signal device designed to be located at a crossing,the parts being at one limit of their movement,

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the part-s at another limitof theirmovement,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the signalling device,

Figure t is a vertical sectional view taken at right angles to Figures 1and 2,

Figure 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of the device located at acrossing and associated with a trzu-kway, this view being in the natureof a perspective and,

Figure (3 is a diagram of the electric circuit.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the letter A designates atrack-way and Bdesignates a crossing. In carrying out In invention Iprovide sections and 11 of the track rails as current carriers, theserail sections being insulated, as shown at 12 from the other sectionswhich are there adjacent. I also provide a signal post 13 or othersupport which is located at or near the crossing B and upon which ismounted my signal device to be hereinafter described. Pivotcd upon eachpost as shown at 14, is a semaphore blade 15 which is so arranged thatit will naturally gravationally remain in the position shown in Figure3, that is in a dowmvardly inclined position. This semaphore blade maybe painted or otherwise colored in any desired manner and preferablybears the legend Stop and also has its free end carrying an incandescentbulb 16 which is designed to be flashed on and off by the means to behereinafter described.

Mounted upon the post is a frame 17 which is here shown as beingrectangular though it should be understood that instead of a frame Imight use a rectanglar casing or if preferred the frame 17 might beenclosed within a suitable casing such as indicated at 18. The frame 17includes a base member 19 from which project laterally extending guides20 and from the top of which extend tubular guides 21. I also provide arectangular frame which includes vertical rods 22 slidably engagedthrough the guide 20 and connected at their lower ends by a cross-bar 23and at their upper ends by a cross bar 24. The cross bar 24 is connectedwith the shorter end of the semaphore blade by means of a flexiblemember such as the chain 25 indicated in the drawings. The lower crossmember 23 has connected therewith a flexible member 26 which is trainedabout a suitable guide pulley 27 and which has its free end secured toand wrapped motor 29 is of course suitably mounted with respect to theframe 17 as clearly indicated. Depending from the upper cross bar 24 areguide rods 30 which are shdably rece1ved Within the tubular guides 21and which serve to guide the movement of the outer frame with respect tothe frame 17.

Rigidly mounted between the tubular guides 21'is a block 31' ofinsulating material which is rovided near its end w th verticallyextending holes 32 through winch are slidable depending rods 33 whichare passed slidably through the upper crossbar 24 of the movableframeand wlnch also pass through a cross bar 34 located below the crossbar 24. At their upper ends the rods 33 carry stop buttons 35 and belowthe cross bar 34 they also carry stop buttons 36 which are for thepurpose of limiting the vertical movement of the rod 33 as Wlll behereinafter explained.

Carried upon the underside of the block 31' are spaced contacts 37 and38 which are merely metallic strips and gonnected with these contactsare wires 39 and 40 respectively-which lead to the terminals of theincandescent lamps 16 carried by the semaphore blade. One of thesecontacts, for instance the contact 37, is connected by a wire 41 withthe rail section 10 while the rail section 11 is connected by a wire 42with one pole of a source of current 43 which has its other poleconnected by a wire 44 with one terminal of the motor 29. The otherterminal of the motor is connected by a wire 45 with a metallic contactstrip 46 which is secured upon the top of a bar 47 of insulatingmaterial which is slidable between the tubular guides 21 and which isprovided at its underside with guide plungers 48 which operate throughholes 49 in the base 19. The numeral 50 designates coil springs whichare interposed between the top of the base 19 and the underside of thebar 47 whereby to hold the latter normally elevated. It will be observedthat the end portions of the insulating bar 47 are in the path ofmovement of the rods 33.

Assuming that the device has been constructed and installed as abovedescribed, the operation is as follows; ordinarily, that is when notrain is passing over the rail sections 10 and 11, the semaphore blade15 will hang in an inclined position indicating safety, as shown inFigure 3, at which time the movable frame will be in its uppermostposition with the contacts 46 engaging both of the contacts 37 and 38.

owever no current will flow until a train or car passes over the railsections 10 and 11, whereupon the current will be bridged across throughthe wheels and axles of the train or car and the result will be thatcurrent will flow from the source 43, throu ii the wire 42, through bothrails and t e train or car, through the wire 41, through both of thecontacts 37 and 46 and then through the motor 29 and back to the source.At the same time. current will be carried through the wires 39 and 40through the incandescent bulb 16 so that the latter will be energized.When this action occurs, that :is when the motor 29' is energized asabove described, the rotation of the shaft thereof Will cause the drum28 to wind up or reel in the flexible member 26, and this will of courseresult in moving the movable frame downwardly and this will result inswinging the semaphore biade 15 to horizontal position as shown inFigure 2. As the up per cross bar 24 of the movable frame movesdownwardly, the-rod 33 carried thereby will slide through the holes 32and in the end portions of the block 31 and will engage against the endportions of the insulating bar 47 and move the latter downwardly so thatthe contact strip 46 will be out of engagement with the contacts 37 and38, which will of course result in breaking the circuit. As soon as thecircuit is thus broken it is apparent that the motor 29 will cease tooperate and the weight of the semaphore blade will cause it to swingupon its pivot into its downwardly inclined position which it occupiesinitially. As long as the circuit is closed by the train or car passingover the rail sections 10 and 11 the action will be repeated so that theeffect will be up and down swinging movement of the semaphore blade andintermittent flashing of the incandescent bulb, it being readilyapparent that these two actions will operate to apprise any pedestrians,drivers of vehicles or others of the approach of a train so thatprobability of accidents at the crossing will be practically eliminated.If desired a bell can be used in conjunction with these signal devicesthough it is not shown or described as it is believed that theapplication is readily apparent in view of the above explanation.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will beapparent that I have thus provided a simply constructcd and consequentlyinexpensive signailing device which will operate automatic ally upon theapproach of the train to give a warning signal, the device beingpositive in action and being naturally a great safeguard to the public.Owing to the simplicity of the construction it is apparent that there islittle to get out of order and ager phfe device will consequently have along While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of theinvention, it is to be understood that I reserve the right to make suchchanges in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as will notdepart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoinedclaims.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. A signalling device of the character described comprising astationary member, guide means carried thereby, a movable frame slidablyassociated with said guide means, a pivoted semaphore blade normallyarranged in inclined position, a hexible connection between the shorterend of the semaphore blade and the top of said frame, an electric motorand means driven thereby connccted with the bottom of the movable frame,a pair of rail sections insulated from the other rail sections of atrackway, and normally engaged contact members moved out of contactingrelation by movement of the movable frame interposed in circuit withsaid insulated rail sections and said motor and a source of current.

2. A signalling device of the character described comprising astationary member, guide means carried thereby, a movable frame slidablyassociated with said guide means, a pivoted semaphore blade normallyarranged in inclined position, a flexible connection between the shorterend of the semaphore blade and the top of said frame, an electric motorand means driven thereb connected with the bottom of the movable rame, apair of rail sections insulated from the other rail sections of atrackway, and normally engaged contact members moved out of contactingrelation by movement of the movable frame interposed in circuit withsaid insulated rail sections and said motor and a source of current, andan incandescent bulb carried by the semaphore blade, and connectionsbetween said bulb and certain of said contacts.

3. In a signalling device, a stationary element provided with guides, avertically movable frame slidably engaged with said guides, a pivotedsemaphore blade connected with the top of said frame, a motor having itsshaft carrying a drum, a flexible member connected with the bottom ofsaid frame and having its free end secured to and wound upon said drum,a pair of track sections insulated from the other track sections of atrackway, and a circuit including said track sections, said motor, asource of current and contact members interposed in said circuit andengaged by movement of said frame.

4:. In a signal device, a stationary element provided with guides, avertically movable frame slidably associated with said guides, atsemaphore blade pivoted near one end and having the shorter end flexiblyconnected with the top of said frame, a motor having its shaft providedwith a drum, a flexible member secured to the bottom of said frame andhaving its other end secured to and wound upon said drum, an upwardlyspring pressed vertically slidable member carried by said stationaryelement, a contact on said last named member, a pair of contact stripscarried by the stationary member and engageable by the first namedcontacts, and a palr of rods moved by said movable frame and havingtheir lower ends engageable with said vertically movable element wherebyto move the latter downwardly to bring said first named strip out ofengagement with said pair of contact strips.

5. In a signal device, a stationary element provided with guides, avertically movable frame slidably associated with said guides, asemaphore blade pivoted near one end and having the shorter end flexiblyconnected with the top of said frame, a motor having its shaft providedwith a drum, 2. flexible member secured to the bottom of said frame andhaving its other end secured to and wound upon said drum, an upwardlyspring pressed vertically slidable member carried by said stationaryelement, a contact on said last named member, a pair of contact stripscarried by the stationary member and engageable by the first namedcontacts, and a pair of rods moved by said movable frame and havingtheir lower ends engageable with said vertically movable element wherebyto move the latter downwardly to bring said first named strip out ofengagement with said pair of contact strips, an incandescent bulbcarried by the semaphore blade, connectionsbetween said bulb and saidpair of contact strips, and a circuit including a source of currentconnected vwith said motor, said first named contact, one of secondnamed contacts and with a pair of rail sections insulated from theremaining rail sections of a trackway.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si ature.

JOSEPH A. MA TA.

